In the United States alone, gaming devices (e.g., reeled slot machines and/or video poker machines) generate more than $15 billion in annual revenue for casinos. In fact, revenue from gaming devices typically accounts for more than half of the gaming revenue for a United States casino. The situation is similar in other parts of the world in which gaming devices are popular, such as Europe and Australia. As a result, casino owners and operators are highly motivated to increase the level of enjoyment derived by gaming device players. Since casino profits are directly proportional to the amount wagered by patrons, casinos are further motivated to expand and retain share within their given market. Increased playing duration, average wager amount, and rate (i.e. speed) of play are key factors contributing to the profitability of casino gaming devices.
One way in which casinos have sought to boost profitability is to make the games offered by such gaming devices as entertaining and broadly appealing as possible. Many techniques are currently used to entertain and appeal to gaming device players. Such techniques include attractive colors and graphics; sound effects associated with winning payouts; thematic games (including games based on popular culture); and jackpots or “bonus rounds” that offer players the chance to win a large amount of money in exchange for a comparatively small wager.
While such techniques have made modern gaming devices more entertaining than the previous generation of machines, the overall range of entertainment options available to consumers continues to expand considerably. Individual casinos now compete not only with other casinos sharing the common market, but also with alternative forms of player entertainment such as Internet-based gaming, console and hand held video game devices, in-home theater systems, greatly expanded television and movie offerings, and the like.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist for enhancing the entertainment and overall appeal of gaming devices.